A multitude of laboratory immunoassay tests for analytes of interest are performed on biological samples for diagnosis, screening, disease staging, forensic analysis, pregnancy testing and drug testing, among others. While a few qualitative tests, such as pregnancy tests, have been reduced to simple kits for a patient's home use, the majority of quantitative tests still require the expertise of trained technicians in a laboratory setting using sophisticated instruments. Laboratory testing increases the cost of analysis and delays the patient's receipt of the results. In many circumstances, this delay can be detrimental to the patient's condition or prognosis, such as for example the analysis of markers indicating myocardial infarction and heart failure. In these and similar critical situations, it is advantageous to perform such analyses at the point-of-care, accurately, inexpensively and with minimal delay.
Many types of immunoassay devices and processes have been described. For example, a disposable sensing device for measuring analytes by means of immunoassay in blood is disclosed by Davis et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,821. This device employs a reading apparatus and a cartridge that fits into the reading apparatus for the purpose of measuring analyte concentrations. A potential problem with such disposable devices is variability of fluid test parameters from cartridge to cartridge due to manufacturing tolerances or machine wear. U.S. Pat. No. 5,821,399 to Zelin discloses methods to overcome this problem using automatic flow compensation controlled by a reading apparatus having conductimetric sensors located within a cartridge. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference in their respective entireties.
Electrochemical detection, in which the binding of an analyte directly or indirectly causes a change in the activity of an electroactive species adjacent to an electrode, has also been applied to immunoassays. For an early review of electrochemical immunoassays, see Laurell et al., Methods in Enzymology, vol. 73, “Electroimmunoassay”, Academic Press, New York, 339, 340, 346-348 (1981).
In an electrochemical immunosensor, the binding of an analyte to its cognate antibody produces a change in the activity of an electroactive species at an electrode that is poised at a suitable electrochemical potential to cause oxidation or reduction of the electroactive species. There are many arrangements for meeting these conditions. For example, electroactive species may be attached directly to an analyte, or the antibody may be covalently attached to an enzyme that either produces an electroactive species from an electroinactive substrate or destroys an electroactive substrate. See, M. J. Green (1987) Philos. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci. 316:135-142, for a review of electrochemical immunosensors. Magnetic components have been integrated with electrochemical immunoassays. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,945,045; 4,978,610; and 5,149,630, each to Forrest et al. Furthermore, jointly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,419,821 to Davis et al. (referenced above) and U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,682,833 and 7,723,099 to Miller et al. teach immunosensing with magnetic particles.
Microfabrication techniques (e.g., photolithography and plasma deposition) are attractive for construction of multilayered sensor structures in confined spaces. Methods for microfabrication of electrochemical immunosensors, for example on silicon substrates, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,051 to Cozette et al., which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference. These include dispensing methods, methods for attaching biological reagent, e.g., antibodies, to surfaces including photoformed layers and microparticle latexes, and methods for performing electrochemical assays.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,223,438 to Mirkin et al. describes a method of forming magnetic nanostructures by depositing a precursor onto a substrate using a nanoscopic tip, and then converting the precursor to form a magnetic nanostructure. U.S. Pat. No. 7,106,051 to Prins et al. describes a magnetoresistive sensing device for determining the density of magnetic particles in a fluid.
U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. 2009/0191401 to Deetz et al. is directed to magnetic receptive paints and coatings that allow magnets to stick to coated surfaces. These paint and coating compositions contain multiple-sized ferromagnetic particles and a base resin with minimal or no fillers and provide an ultra smooth finish on a substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,102 to Stern et al. discloses a latex paint composition comprising iron particles and U.S. Pat. No. 5,843,329 to Deetz provides techniques for blending magnetic receptive particles into solution for making magnetic coatings. Jointly-owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,998,224 and 6,294,342 to Rohr et al. disclose assay methods utilizing the response of a magnetically responsive reagent to influence a magnetic field to qualitatively or quantitatively measure binding between specific binding pair members. Each of these patents is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Both an integrated biosensor for multiplexed immunoassays based on actuated magnetic nanoparticles and a high sensitivity point-of-care test for cardiac troponin based on an optomagnetic biosensor have been described. See, Bruls et al., Lab Chip 9, 3504-3510 (2009) and Dittmer et al., Clin. Chim. Acta (2010), doi:10.1016/j.cca.2010.03.001,respectively. There are numerous disclosures of the use of magnetically susceptible particles, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,685 to Senyei et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,088 to Whitehead et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,037 to Chagnon et al. An important factor in the use of these particles in assays is efficient mixing to enhance the reaction rate between the target analyte and the particle surfaces, as opposed to the use of a macro-binding surface that mainly relies on diffusion. Magnetic mixing systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,231,760 to Siddiqi and U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,859 to Kreuwel et al.
Notwithstanding the above literature, there remains a need in the art for improved immunosensing devices with greater sensitivity for the detection of analytes, including, for example, cardiac troponin I for early detection of myocardial infarction. These and other needs are met by the present invention as will become clear to one of skill in the art to which the invention pertains upon reading the following disclosure.